The Democratic Governors Association has written a letter to Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.

(CNN) - With the knowledge that Fox News' parent company recently cut a $1 million check to the Republican Governors Association, the leader of the Democratic Governors Association is calling on the cable news network to run a "formal disclaimer" when it covers gubernatorial races.

"I request that you add a formal disclaimer to your news coverage any time any of your programs cover governors or gubernatorial races between now and Election Day," DGA executive director Nathan Daschle wrote in the letter to Roger Ailes. "[…]If you do not add a disclaimer, I request that you and your staff members on the 'fair and balanced' side of the network demand that the contribution be returned."

A CNN review of financial contributions made by media corporations showed that the parent companies of CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC have all made at least six-figure contributions to political parties and candidates. But none of them have given one organization so much money relative to its equivalent association on the other side of the aisle.

Read the full letter after the jump:

"They are the RGA's single largest corporate donor," Daschle said in a statement to CNN. "No donor wants to see Democratic Governors defeated more than Fox News. That's not right. If they want to give up the facade, it's fine – just put on a disclaimer so everyone knows."

Fox News' response indicates a disclaimer will not likely be forthcoming.

"Nathan's stunt has run its course," Fox News spokesman Brian Lewis said in a statement to Washington Post media columnist and CNN contributor Howard Kurtz. "His 15 minutes are up. Time to leave the stage."

soundoff(220 Responses)

dick delson

why is anyone surprised by anything FIXED news does?????

August 18, 2010 04:21 pm at 4:21 pm |

Marcus

Why should they NOW start to be honest with their clients?
They never had the honesty to do that before, why would they have it now?
PS: To all the Gopers that tried to spin the story when it came to public yesterday, it's obvious which TV channel you use as primary source of news... but let me remember you guys what's the point behind this story:
Ever since the beggining of this country, newspapers DO chose a side to back up and another to be against.
Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address' was called 'silly, flat and dishwatery utterances' by the Democratic-leaning Chicago Times at first...
There's no problem in picking a side, the problem is to deny that you had made your pick and still claim to be 'impartial'...
That's hypocrisy folks...

August 18, 2010 04:21 pm at 4:21 pm |

Peter s

By specious argument cause the breakdown of old moral virtues; honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness.
Encourage civil disorders and foster a lenient and soft attitude on the part of government toward such disorders. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance. Get people's minds off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books, plays, and other trivialities.
Get control of all means of publicity. Destroy the people's faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt, ridicule and obloquy (disgrace). Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with a view to confiscation and leaving the population helpless.
FOLKS DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? YES !!! ITS FROM "COMMUNIST RULE FOR REVOLUTION" AND FOX NEWS HAVE JUST BORROWED A PAGE OR TWO FROM THE COMMUNIST RULE FOR REVOLUTION. Then they call liberals communists!! the true communists are the RNC propagada machines which makes hitler and his propaganda machine looks like an amateur.

August 18, 2010 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

Sticky G

While a person would have to be addled or comatose to not know that Fox is the propaganda branch of the GOP, there is no way they will ever admit to funding the GOP as well. That would destroy the "fair and balanced" illusion and detract from their very purpose as a propaganda outlet.

August 18, 2010 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

tcaros

Only idiots watch Fox news.

August 18, 2010 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

bluej

It would seem to be the opinion of the average Fox News viewer that the all the other news networks are somhow conntrolled by the left. This becouse they actually give the left and right side of issues and arguments for each of those. Are there any people out there who even would claim that Fox News makes an attempt to show a veiwpoint from the left? Anyone at all? I personnally think that the DNC should ban all Fox interaction til they do.

August 18, 2010 04:22 pm at 4:22 pm |

cjr

fox is really boring! no talent and biased news – why would anyone want to waste their time?

August 18, 2010 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

Stupidscript

If bloggers must disclose when they are writing about a product they received as a gift so people who read their stinking blogs will know of the potential conflict of interest, then FOX News must disclose that they are strongly backing the Republicans in American politics by giving the RGA a $1Million gift.

Either that, or give the DGA a matching gift.

One other alternative is to simply drop the "news" from their logos and admit that they are really "entertainment" with an agenda.

August 18, 2010 04:23 pm at 4:23 pm |

Bill

Faux News knows its monicker as "fair and balanced" is a joke. They trust their viewers are not in on the joke, or that they don't care they are fed propaganda by a right-wing, foreign born billionaire for his own business purposes.

So gullible are so many.

August 18, 2010 04:24 pm at 4:24 pm |

Dave

As long as MSNBC calls out that its owning corporation, GE, is on Obama's corporate team, fine.

If not, shutup.

August 18, 2010 04:24 pm at 4:24 pm |

Former Republican, but never again!

Fox News is nothing but Republican propaganda!

August 18, 2010 04:24 pm at 4:24 pm |

Dave

U.S. man admits sexually abusing Haiti street kids
Acts took place at school he founded with money from a Catholic charity

Let's be outraged about this. No more schools for Catholics!

August 18, 2010 04:25 pm at 4:25 pm |

Kate

Watched a horrific piece of propaganda masquerading as news on Fox yesterday. There were so many factual and logical flaws in it I cannot list them all. Hard to believe anybody believes these yahoos.

August 18, 2010 04:25 pm at 4:25 pm |

Mesa Mick

"Stunt has run it course...Time to leave the stage".

In a pig's ace, Roger, in a pig's ace. Before long all the LEGITIMATE news organization will be demanding that ClusterFOX "news" acknowledges that it has been the defacto mouthpiece and is now the official propaganda shill for the re-thug-lie-cants.

Cowboy up and admit it Roger baby, we'll have smidgen of respect – but by no means agreement – with and for your "political entertainment network" if you do...

August 18, 2010 04:27 pm at 4:27 pm |

Conservative Lie, People Die

Other news channels may have subtle leaning over one side or the other political parties but FOX News is one way sided with conservative/Republicans. unfortunately, they have so much money and power. IN fact it was FoxNews own NY Post, which fabricated the whole so-called ground zero mosque debacle. How ridiculous, they called themselves "fair & balance".

August 18, 2010 04:27 pm at 4:27 pm |

Eric Price

Fox is not News. It is entertainment - Nothing more.

August 18, 2010 04:27 pm at 4:27 pm |

tonyb

what a surprise- FAUX news a tool of the GOP. Who would have thought....

August 18, 2010 04:28 pm at 4:28 pm |

Duck Fallas

Joe in Vegas is a funny duck.

August 18, 2010 04:28 pm at 4:28 pm |

Aaron

How is this a "stunt" at all?

To ask for a disclaimer seems very reasonable to me.

Although I am interested to see where CNN is sending its money as well.

August 18, 2010 04:29 pm at 4:29 pm |

Morning Star

Supreme court justices gave us Bush and will they give us Romney soon?

August 18, 2010 04:30 pm at 4:30 pm |

Hank

Cry me a river Roger. You have got the rest of the networks to do your bidding for free since they are all democrats.

August 18, 2010 04:31 pm at 4:31 pm |

Billy davis

Is anyone surprised that the Republican new channel is the largest GOP donor? The are about as fair and balanced as a rock.

August 18, 2010 04:32 pm at 4:32 pm |

Jean-Texas

Absolutely, Fox intertainment should run a disclaimer. There is little doubt that they are buying and paying for conservative politicans, and openly promoting a political agenda. They continue to make up alleged "news" stories to fit their planned agenda, and how many times have we heard something on FOX first, only to have every republican politican repeating it as talking points at somepoint during the day. FOX is a dangerous organization full of poison and lies. This is the worse thing to happen to American politics since McCarthy.